Monday, November 28, 2016

Despite the fact that taxpayers bailed out banks in the U.S. and around the world following the 2008 financial crisis, the 'masters of the monetary universe' did little to show appreciation for the people that saved them from bankruptcy due to their own greed and corruption. And even with the ability now to borrow money from central bank discount windows at or near zero percent interest, a large number of banks chose to impose new fees on their customers under the guise of re-capitalization.

Ironically, when companies impose a charge on individuals for a service it is known as a fee, but when a government does the same it is instead called a tax. And that is exactly what India, Greece, and perhaps soon even the United States is, or is planning to do, for people who choose to withdrawal cash out of their bank accounts in the future rather than using digital constructs to perform commerce.

Greek banks have proposed a series of measures to combat
tax evasion, strengthen the electronic transactions and limit the use of
cash in the economy, and as KeepTalkingGreece.com
reports, one of the measures proposed is a special tax on cash
withdrawals.

Bankers reportedly stress that cash money can easily and
largely be channeled in the black economy. Therefore, a tax on cash
withdrawals will drastically reduce cash transactions and by extension the
black economy.

The bankers suggest that also credit and debit cards as
wells as new technologies enabling cash-less transactions even
for small amounts and mobile phones can be used for the purchase of a
transport ticket or a newspaper at the kiosk.

The bankers proposal to the government also includes:

-Mandatory use of cards or other electronic payment networks
for every transaction with professions where there is strong evidence of tax
evasion or where cash is mainly used [ like bakeries, kiosks, street vendors
and chestnut sellers?].

-Mandatory use of cards or electronic networks for
transactions above a certain amount [this measure is already in effect].

–Reforming the tax system by introducing a
revenue-expenditure system. Households or professionals will only be taxed on
the amount of income that is has not been spent. In this way, households and
professionals will have a strong incentive to seek receipts for any expenditure
in order to increase their expenditure and reduce the tax amount they will have
to pay.

-Obligation for all businesses and regardless of
their size to pay electronically every salary and wage. (source: Kathimerini
via Liberal.gr) - Zerohedge

Over in India, Prime Minister Modi has already implemented a 45% transaction tax on deposits that the government arbitrarily believes come from illegal or 'black market' commerce. And these two countries (India and Greece) are not the only nations with plans to impose a tax on cash withdrawals as this has been in the works for a few years in the halls of the Fed and Congress.

Greece is the first country to push for a carry tax on
physical cash. It won’t be the last. This policy has been floating around in
Central Banking circles for years. The fact that it’s now being openly promoted
only proves how desperate the elites are getting about the state of the
financial system.

Watch, the moment things turn south in the US in
a big way, similar proposals will start cropping up here too.